Chapter 36 - Confronting the Beast

The acid began to eat through the mucus layer of the creature. Come to think of it…

I wasn't even certain what kind of creature had swallowed me whole, but that…

Was something for another time. Because there were more important things on my mind at the moment.

Like how to get out unscathed for example. My acid didn't harm me anymore allowing me to flood the entire area with my own. As I kept my eyes closed not wanting them to get damaged by the fluids I felt the area beginning to convulse. Jolts and Jerking motions could be felt when suddenly everything began to rise upwards. With a loud thumb, everything came down crashing. Unable to witness the moments past these loud convulsions I thought to myself that this was the moment. The moment I had been waiting for.

Like that moment when one had one too many drinks and your stomach announces being unable to hold it. That was kind of like how this entire situation played out.

Because within seconds I found myself drenched in liquid acid as well as grass underneath my feet?

I was outside! I finally did it! Finally reaching to the ground underneath my feet there wasn't a moment to rest my mind. As I awakened to the realization something huge revealed itself towering above the predator which I previously escaped from and myself.

The sheer size of the shadow made me question my existence…

Within an instant, it swooped up the creature which had lost itself in spasms.

I wanted to get away, but whenever I turned to a possible way out it quickly got blocked off by something looking eerily similar to the environment.

"An invisible wall?"

With something as big as this… Was winning out of the question?

I had to find a way out… Or it would be the end of me…

I looked up, only to meet with six glowing red eyes. Within what felt like an eternity the both of us stared into each other's eyes. Until… the silence got shattered by a high-pitched scream.

*Ssshaaaa!*

At that moment the creature's head lashed downwards with the speed I was unable to determine. My tail pushed me out of the way, barely escaping the slamming head attack of the creature. There was no time to look back, I had to find a way… A way to survive!

My tail… Within a fraction of a second, it had been devoured and ripped off of my body.

My path blocked by the invisible wall? No… on closer inspection I had seen the same thing before jumping into the water, trying to get away from the beast… But now… Getting away was out of the question, a confrontation was unquestionable.

Being slammed into the invisible wall as I tried to escape the relentless attacks from above I found out that they were just the scales of the beast. Scales with reflective properties allowing for the best camouflage one could think of. Taking on the illuminating properties of the surroundings it was difficult looking past the realization of nothing being there.

The beast launched its head towards the ground without rest, creating craters in the process. Unable to make sense of its appearance the battle continued.

Unable to get away I knew I had to attack its body, being cornered everywhere I looked by the beast, this could become challenging.

"Or so… That's what you wanted me to think, didn't you?!

You gave me no room to escape just shows what I have to do next!"

Without wasting another second I began to shoot out fire. The fire began to shoot out of the openings between my scales, quickly scorching the wet grassy field we were having our battle on. Now… The area looked like a bombing area, as the creature's head had left craters all around. There was nowhere to hide anymore…

I could hear the beast's tongue shooting in and out of its mouth at rapid intervals.

Staying alert was my best chance at survival. But I didn't know all the cards my opponent could play. Having shown that I can conjure fire was something I needed to do,

as it showed me that the beast wasn't heat resistant.

Flames caught up to the beast its tail which had blocked my path off completely.

At first, it looked like it had no too little effect. But then something extraordinary happened…

The tail caught fire. Slowly the flames crawled up towards the back of the beast.

The eyes of the beast flashed before unleashing an ear-shattering screech.

*SCREECH!*

Frantically the beast tossed and turned to hopefully ebbing the flames away.

But by doing so, it only spread further… This was my chance, while the beast was occupied.

I had to find a way towards the softer parts of its body.

The back and sides were all covered with scales, making it almost impossible to see where it was, yet the flames gave away its position. I was free… But letting this chance go to waste was something I should better not.

Showing mercy in the wild towards an apex predator only comes back to bite you in the end. While I was making up my mind the beast kept on tossing and turning, now laying around the pond… It decided to throw its body in their subduing the flames.

By this time I had sneaked onto its tail, being as small in comparison to it…

I had a fair chance of concealing my presence as well.

I ran without stopping, faster and faster until I have finally gotten halfway up the creature's back. By now, it had become apparent what the creature could be, in my mind it felt like I was either fighting a gigantic worm or a gigantic snake. Taking into account the sounds that it made only made the possibility of it being a snake all the more reasonable.

But… Man… Was this beast huge!

By now the flames had been subdued and the beast tried to find its prey, namely me.

But could not find me, it coiled its body around its axis instantly revealing my location.

The beast began frantically slamming its body onto the ground as it feared the worst.

I tried clawing myself onto the beast's scales with all my might but was unable to hold on.

Unable to find my footing the beast slammed me into the ground.

Now without air, I was unable to anticipate what the beast would do next.

It looked around alarmed by the damage I was able to inflict on it.

But he too was unable to find me. I slowly regained my breath and began to question the situation.

"Is this what it all came down to in the end? Am I even able to fight the Insanely huge beast with the abilities I have acquired through my life? Or would it be better to retreat if possible? No… A retreat isn't an option… This beast will only catch me if I try to run again…

I have to confront my fears… Fight till my last dying breath… or Die trying!"

Having made up my resolve I dashed towards the gigantic snake-like creature.

In between fighting my observation skills must have increased since I was faintly to depict where the creature was laying. I knew I was unable to claw or bite through its thick scales.

What I also knew was that it had a weakness against my flames.

Thinking about that, it was rather logical. For all, I knew this was the beast's territory.

Did it even venture outside of these forests? That was when something plausible hit me.

It could mean that the beast never ventured outside of its habitat. Meaning there was no room for resistance towards Acid or fire, right?

A smirk formed on my face, trying not to get cocky I suddenly realized that there was a huge gamechanger taking place. The beast… Was it weak to acidic or poisonous elemental type attacks?

"Better give everything a try then, shouldn't we?"

I reacted as if I knew someone was listening, in the head of the moment I couldn't even care less if they were, I knew about E.V.E. Maybe there were others too? Who knew?

For now, I had a bone to pick with the master of the entrance, or however, I liked to call it.

Since my observation showed nothing but question marks.

Quickly I coated myself in acid and leaped towards the beast.

Its tail came slamming down towards me, yet this time I was prepared. Having seen its patterns I knew what to do.

Quickly I shot out short bursts of fire propelling myself in mid-air. Faster and faster I turned around my axis, flying straight to the beast's heads. With all its might the beast tried to grab me but was unable to. Again and again, the beast slammed its tail onto the ground until it slammed onto itself scattering several scales.

This was it, the chance had been waiting for. Seeing where the beast had struck itself I quickly propelled myself towards the freshly created wound. Blood dripped out and I knew this was going to work. I dropped myself onto the wound and dug my claws deep into its flesh. The next step was crucial and needed to be implemented as quickly as possible.

I injected my highly potent and flammable acid which I ignited within mere moments.

Pain shot through the beast making it jolt in fear and pain.

Trying to fight back the beast launched its head towards me.

"Just what I was hoping for!"

I jumped away from the wound as the beast instantly chopped off its tail.

Frustration shot throughout its body as the beast kept flailing in pain.

I dashed towards the open wound and again injected by highly potent Acid flames inside of the beast. I could see the beast burning from within, slowly the flames crept further and further, finally engulfing its body. The beast succumbed to the pain slamming into the ground. With its last dying breath, it tried to end my life together with its own.

But was unable to do so.

What followed next was something more gruesome than I could have imagined as flames shot out of its mouth, the flames reached its head and popped its eyes one by one…

Now the beast's true nature was revealed… Revealed to be what I had been thinking all along. A gigantic snake… The Elite King of the forest… Brought down by my actions…

[Enough experience has been accumulated]